Compton effect
Updates to Article Attributes
Compton effect or Compton scatter is one of three principle forms of photon interaction. It is the main cause of scattered radiation in a material. It occurs due to the interaction of the X-ray or gamma photon with free electrons (unattached to atoms) or loosely bound valence shell (outer shell) electrons. The resultant incident photon gets scattered (changes direction) and imparts energy to the electron (recoil electron). The scattered photon will have a different wavelength (observed phenomenon) and thus a different energy (E=hc/λ). Energy and momentum are conserved in this process. The Compton effect is a partial absorption process and as the original photon has lost energy, this is known as Compton shift (the shift being a shift of wavelength/frequency).
Probability of Compton effect
- directly proportional to
- number of outer shell electrons, i.e. the electron density
- physical density of the material
- inversely proportional to
- photon energy
- does not depend on
- atomic number (unlike photoelectric effect and pair production)
In other words, the probability of a Compton Effect is dependent on the number of electrons in the absorbing material which for almost all elements is approximately the same per unit mass. Thus, Compton Effect is independent of the atomic number (Z) of the absorber.
History and etymology
Named after Professor Arthur Holly Compton (1892-1962), US physicist, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1927 for his discovery of Compton effect 2.
-<li>physical density of material</li>- +<li>physical density of the material</li>
-</ul><h4>History and etymology</h4><p>Named after <strong>Professor Arthur Holly Compton</strong> (1892-1962), US physicist, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1927 for his discovery of Compton effect <sup>2</sup>. </p>- +</ul><p>In other words, the probability of a Compton Effect is dependent on the number of electrons in the absorbing material which for almost all elements is approximately the same per unit mass. Thus, Compton Effect is independent of the atomic number (Z) of the absorber.</p><h4>History and etymology</h4><p>Named after <strong>Professor Arthur Holly Compton</strong> (1892-1962), US physicist, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1927 for his discovery of Compton effect <sup>2</sup>. </p>
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